Page 110 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

have offered the use of the Sphere craft; but they too had, in their long distant past, also lost ships
to The Veil, so that option was ruled out.
“Perhaps the Ilkar have some knowledge of how the Behemoths manage?” A young Bio Tech asked.
“I know that the creatures hide is extremely rich in dense minerals that the Ilkar use in shielding
their ships from radiation, perhaps it will help with the Space-time distortions too” she added.
“You may be on to something there Marie. Carmichael; get me that Xenobiologist from Genova on a
coms channel. Lorna Felix she’s called; she made detailed studies of many Space dwelling life forms,
if anyone knows she might – and she’s close. You’ll find her on board the Leonardo research vessel”
Captain Hart gave her order to the bridge’s coms officer.

On board the Leonardo, Lorna Felix was reviewing some data that had recently been sent to
her from a Fenian outpost of a creature thought to have been extinct on the Fenian home world for
decades. A Buraxin freighter had come across a Lynarix pride on an inhabitable moon in the Vestaria
System. The Lynarix was a close parallel evolution mammal like animal, similar in size and
appearance to a large feline that once inhabited Old Earth. Lion like was the best way of describing
the animal. Though technically it was more reptilian than mammalian, and an herbivore, its pelt was
luxurious and, as a result, had been hunted to extinction in the Fenian Legislate. It was speculated
that a small number of prides had somehow been transplanted to the moon by “alien” hands long
ago. From the data, Lorna construed that the existing prides were descended from early animals
from a time before Humans colonised Fenia Prime. The buzz of her coms link broke her reverie.
“We’ve had a change of orders Ma’am. We are to proceed to rendezvous with a Terran
expeditionary ship headed to the Hub via The Veil perimeter route. They say they need expert help
from you; something to do with Space-whales and Behemoths. The orders come direct from Central
Terran Councillor Magridson” spoke the voice of Coms tech Lucy Brenner
“Call up teams two and five, and send me a copy of the rest of the orders. I might need to take
Vigson and Creed from the teams with me. Does Captain Muller have any other people that can take
over this study Lucy?” Lorna asked in response. There was a short silence then Muller himself
answered.
“It’s OK Lorna, we are getting relief crews next week anyway, and some of your students from Terra
Prime in with them, and we can handle things here. You concentrate on these new orders,
Magridson is not the kind of person to put a five star rating on just any kind of directive, so I’ve
arranged transport with a Buraxin freighter headed out there.” Muller said jovially.
“Thanks Sid; I owe you one for the lift. I wonder what’s got Magridson so fired up. Not like her to get
this tight on a survey ship encounter. Anyway, I’ll pack; and you let Vigson and Creed in on the
orders. I’m taking one of the Mechanoids with me, Lennie 101, if you can spare him, he’s had a close
encounter with a Behemoth” she chuckled
“Ah; yes, I remember that little escapade only too well. Yes; it’s fine to take him, we have a
replacement inbound from Celica Prime tomorrow anyway. Oh; and “Break a leg” as they used to
say” Muller laughed. Lorna gathered her belongings and packed copies of her reference crystals
carefully in a shielded container. She looked around at her equipment and also packed some of
those items too. She also picked up he Father’s old service pistol, a Henderson 60 Stunner. She had
last used that on a mission to Helva, stopped a bull Horga Beast in its tracks that was charging her
team. It was one of a handful of things she and her brother Reese had left of their parents. A
crewman helped her to take her packed luggage down to the docking bay.

In the docking bay, one of the ships shuttlecraft was waiting to take them to the Buraxin
freighter. Mortimer Vigson, Jonas Creed and Lennie 101 were stood at the foot of the boarding
ramp. Lennie had been outfitted with a new biometric skin enhancement and was showing off how
it worked. Mortimer was being scanned.
“Does that thing show you the Nano-mites that are in my blood Lennie?” he asked as Lorna
approached
“That and more; you have a vitamin deficiency and the start of vascular damage due to Alcohol”
Lennie replied adding “Looks like a small problem with your operation has caused some “damage” to